Deadlock surpasses Team Fortress 2’s all-time concurrent player count peak as it adds a chess wizard
Deadlock, Valve’s in-development MOBA, has reached a significant milestone by surpassing Team Fortress 2’s all-time concurrent player peak. The game hit 262,145 simultaneous players on Steam, exceeding TF2’s previous record of 253,997 concurrent players.
This surge in player numbers coincided with the release of a new hero character—a chess wizard—part of Deadlock’s ongoing character roster expansion. The game remains technically in an invite-only testing phase, though its growing playerbase suggests significant interest in Valve’s take on the MOBA genre.
The achievement is particularly noteworthy for Valve’s legacy, marking the first time one of its live-service titles has surpassed TF2’s historic concurrent player metrics. The chess wizard addition appears to continue Valve’s strategy of releasing diverse heroes to maintain player engagement during the extended testing period.
Deadlock’s rapid growth while still in limited access demonstrates strong market demand for Valve’s MOBA offering. The game’s success suggests healthy interest as it potentially moves toward wider release, building on community engagement through regular content updates and democratic character voting systems.